


3 Times Someone Witnessed Steve's OCD

by lilac_cc



Category: Stranger Things - Fandom
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, M/M, OCD, Steve Angst, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Steve gets help, Steve harrington has OCD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:21:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27377893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilac_cc/pseuds/lilac_cc
Summary: That's just Steve.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Dustin Henderson & Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington
Comments: 3
Kudos: 136





	3 Times Someone Witnessed Steve's OCD

Billy- 

Billy was standing at the counter, getting ready to cut some chicken for dinner. Steve walks in, just arriving from work, and immediately washes his hands. Two pumps of soap, hottest water, 30 seconds per hand. That’s just Steve. “Ooooh, dinner! I can’t wait I’m starving!” Steve says with a smile, walking up to Billy. “Have you washed your hands?” Billy nods, and reaches for the knife, ready to grab the chicken. Steve clears his throat, gently blocking Billy’s grab, “Um. Could you do it again?” Steve asks sheepishly. Billy smiles and nods, turning towards the sink. Steve’s shoulders subconsciously lower in relief. That’s just Steve.

After they’re done with dinner, Steve offers to wash the dishes, Billy responds, “Only if you let me dry them.” Steve begins soaping up the sponge, using the coarse side first, cleaning the front of the plate, then the back, rinsing it off, and repeating the steps one more time. Billy laughs, that’s just Steve.

Robin- 

“Good Morning, Dingus!” Robin says cheerfully to Steve who just walked through the door of Family Video. Steve looks up and Robin can instantly tell somethings wrong. She frowns and goes to grab his hand, she feels the dry cracked skin and cringes. “Dang Steve, what happened to your hands?” Steve shrugs and shoves them in his pockets, ashamed of their state. They get like that sometimes, but that’s just Steve

Later in the day Steve’s in the shelves, stocking movies that have already been rewinded and are ready to rent. Robin can hear noises of confusion and frustration for a few minutes, and then he appears out from behind the shelf. “Rob, do you know if Keith re-did the organization again?” He asks, “Uhh, I’m not sure, why?” Steve groans and shakes his head, and Robin swears she can see tears in his eyes, “I keep telling him to let me know when he does this so I can get the patterns right! If I can’t get them right I have to start all the way over and it takes so long.” Robin looks at him, “You know… You don’t have to start all the way over. Right?” He just shakes his and and whispers, “Yes. I do.” And sometimes, that’s just Steve. 

Dustin- 

Dustin wakes up earlier than usual. He wants to over to Steve’s and get to the arcade before all the top scores are beaten by someone else. It’s not their normal time, and his mom warns him that Steve might be upset for coming earlier. He shakes his head and laughs, “I’m sure it’ll be fine mom. Steve loves me!” and walks out the door towards his house. When he gets there he knocks on the door and waits for someone to answer. Billy is the one who opens the door, informing Dustin that Steve is outside in the pool doing his normal 15 morning laps. Dustin walks out the sliding glass door, and throws a small rock that lands in the middle of Steve’s back. Dustin watches as Steve jolts out of the pool, “Billy. Please, please, please, don’t. I told you I can’t mess up my rhythm or else-” He stops when he turns around and sees it’s Dustin. Who just waves and says “Let’s go to the arcade!” Steve laughs uneasily and gets out of the pool. He goes to get ready and meets Dustin in his driveway after 25 minutes. He watches as Steve hugs Billy goodbye, not once but two times. When he gets in the car, he’s a little quieter than usual. It happens every time Dustin shows up early. Well. That’s just… Steve?

–

Steve stares at his hands as he sits in the doctors office. His foot twists out on the ball, and back in on his toes. He counts as his leg moves back and forth, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.” and the starts over each time the rhythm feels off. He taps his fingers against the wooden armrest of the chair he’s sitting in, making the distinct beat of “tip tip tipi-tip, tip tip tipi-tip.” He sighs and leans back further in the chair.

“Steven Harrington?”

He looks up and stops his movements.   
After the appointment he sits in his car staring at the diagnosis on the paper. Turns out, it’s not just Steve. He laughs tearily. What would every one think? He doesn’t know. 

When he tells Billy, he reassures his that his OCD doesn’t change anything about their relationship, and that having this label will make them stronger. They can understand each other even better now.

When he tells Robin, she has the same reaction he did in the bathroom at Star Court, “Oh.” She says softly. And that’s it. They’re still Robin and Steve, except Robin starts carrying lotion for the days Steve can’t stop washing his hands and starts calling him each time she knows Keith re-did the organization system. Also making sure to type up the system on paper so he can visualize it.

When he tells Dustin, he runs to the library and does as much research on it as he can. He also stops showing up early without warning. Telling Steve the night before that he wants to go to the arcade to get things done. They develop a routine, and Steve has no more quiet days, where he’s suffering in his mind for not completing his rituals.  
And although it has a name. The things that make Steve just Steve, are still the same.


End file.
